| You can you stop smoking if smoking is | | | | render these genes ineffective and |
| inherited in your genes. Research shows | | | | become a non-smoker". |
| that whilst genetic factors do play a | | | | Along with genes leading to flawed |
| part in smoking behaviour, this is only | | | | opinions, one is exposed to family |
| a small part. Environment, or nurture | | | | emotions and family temptations. For |
| as well as nature, plays a part too. | | | | instance, if parents were harsh in the |
| Studies of a correlation between smoking | | | | treatment of a smoker growing up, who |
| and genetic factors have come up with | | | | then was encouraged to smoke on every |
| three correlations between smokers and | | | | visit to relatives, this of course |
| their families: | | | | influences the smoking desire. A person |
| 1. The age they start smoking | | | | with an unhappy or less educated |
| 2. How likely they are to carry on | | | | background is more likely to smoke, and |
| smoking | | | | having cigarettes all around this person |
| 3. When they stop smoking | | | | reinforces the smoking behaviour. |
| Whilst these factors are significant, | | | | The good news is that using methods like |
| they are not huge. In other words, you | | | | EFT, unhappiness can be lifted out of |
| can quit even if everyone in your family | | | | your system. When there is no longer |
| is a smoker. | | | | the need to drug unhappiness, the desire |
| One of the things that are targeted in | | | | for smoking reduces considerably. |
| quit-smoking programs is the beliefs of | | | | What remains is a simple program that |
| the smoker. A belief is a very strong | | | | covers the following: |
| psychological incentive, and can be a | | | | A. Education about the dangers of |
| strong influence on stop-smoking | | | | smoking and the true joys of natural |
| treatment. | | | | living |
| So how do you change a belief? The | | | | B. Options that involve something more |
| answer is that cannot change a belief | | | | exciting than being around smokers |
| per se, what you can change is that an | | | | C. Behavioural coaching for situations |
| opinion that was once a belief is no | | | | where one is surrounded by smokers |
| longer so. | | | | Whilst this may mean more than one quick |
| A belief is an absolute truth, something | | | | session for smoking cessation, a |
| that we believe to be true based on all | | | | structured program like this is more |
| the evidence given to us plus the way we | | | | likely to produce long-lasting results |
| have stacked up this evidence in a | | | | and true freedom for good. All I can |
| logical order. Now logic is like | | | | say is that if you are an |
| building a wall. First you have one | | | | ex-smoker-to-be, you can succeed. It is |
| brick, then you have another, then | | | | merely the route to success that |
| another, building brick upon brick till | | | | changes. True success feels good |
| you have a wall. The strength of this | | | | whatever route you take to it and |
| wall depends on how good the bricks are. | | | | whatever genes you have inherited. |
| What if there was a brick somewhere | | | | References about smoking and a genetic |
| near the bottom that was flawed? Remove | | | | link: |
| this brick, and the wall collapses. | | | | Uhl, G.R.; Gold, L.H.; and Risch, N. |
| Take all the good bricks, build again, | | | | Genetic analyses of complex behavioral |
| and you have a much stronger wall in | | | | disorders. Proceedings of the National |
| place. | | | | Academy of Sciences 94:2785-2786, 1997. |
| Using methods like EFT (Emotional | | | | KS KENDLER, PS MC NEALE, COG LA COREY, |
| Freedom Technique) with NLP | | | | CA PRESCOTT A population-based twin |
| (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), the | | | | study in women of smoking initiation and |
| belief that "I am a smoker because all | | | | nicotine dependence Psychological |
| my family are smokers" can be shown to | | | | Medicine, 1999 - journals.cambridge.org |
| be merely a flawed opinion. This is | | | | Page 1. Psychological Medicine, 1999, |
| replaced by the stronger wall which says | | | | 29, 299-308. |
| "My family are smokers, I choose to | | | | |